Lawn or garden table



C. L. SOLBERG.

LAWN 0R GARDEN TABLE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7, 1921.

Patented Sept. 13, 1921.

fli-f UNITED STATES ENT OFFICE.

CHRISTOPHER L. SOII'JIBFRli,y OF IMIINNEAPOLIS,` MINNESOTA` LAWN QB GARDEN TABLE.

Specification 0f Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 13,- `1921,`

Application led Hai-oh 7, 1921. Serial No. 450,221.

t Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lawn or Garden Tables; and I do hereby declare the followin to be a full, clear, and exact description o. the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it a pertains to make and use the same.

y invention relates particularly to a table to be used on a lawn or in a garden and has for its object to provide such a table with means to revent the same from tippin over when pllziced' on soft or uneven groun and" which means may be rendered inoperative,` at will, so that the table may be taken in and used in a dwelling as an ordinary table.

To the above end, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.`

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the table having the invention embodied therein;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central vertical section; and y Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view with some parts sectioned on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, with some parts adjusted in different positions.

The invention, as shown, is embodied in a table havin a square top 4 supported on four corner degs 5 `rigidly connected by relatively wide upper tie-bars 6 and rela tively narrow lower tie-bars 7. Angle corner brackets 8 are secured to the inner faces of thetie-bars 6 and 7 and rigidly connect the same at the legs 5 to prevent said tie-bars from becoming loose or separated from the legs 5, due to climatic conditions. A drawer 9 works in an opening in one o the longitudinal tie-bars 6 and lis slidably mounted on transverse angle guides 10 carried by the upper tie-bars 6.

At each end of the table is a pair of vertically disposed anchor rods 11 having sharp lower ends adapted to be pressed into the ground in the vicinity of the legs 5 and thereby securely hold the table' where set;

To make these anchor rods 11 as light as possible and also to reduce the cost ofl manufacture, each thereof is made in three sec tions, towit: a solid pointed lower section 12 having its upper end screwed into theA lower end of a tubular intermediate section 13 and a solid top section 14" having its` lower end screwed into the upper end of" said tubular intermediate section. y

The anchor rods 11 are mounted in upper and lower alined guides 15 and 16, respectively, at the inner corners of the legsl 5, and are located, respectively, 'ust below the tie-bars 6 and 7. As shown, t ese guides 15 and 16 are in the form of screw-eyes screwed into the legs 5, and the former of which have relatively small eyes to receive and guide the upper anchor rod sections 14 and the latter of which have relatively large eyes to receive and guide the intermediate tubular anchor rod sections 13. Preferably, the anchor rods 11 are galvanized to prevent rustin l Each pair of anchor rods 11 is connected by a wooden cross-head 17 having, at its ends, bores through which the upper anchor rod sections 14 extend, asbest shown in Fig. 3. Washers 18, on the upper anchor rod sections 14, are interposed between the upper ends of the intermediate anchor rod sections 13 and the crosslheads 17 and are supported on said sections 13. Encircling the intermediate rod sections 13 are coiled springs 19 compressed between the lower guide 16 and the washers 18 and under strain to lift the anchor rods'll. The cross-heads 17 are securely held by nuts 2O having screw-threaded engagement with the upper anchor rod sections 14 and which nuts clamp said cross-heads onto the washers 18 held on the upper ends of said sections 14.y Screw caps 21 are applied to the upper ends of the upper rod sections 14 to limit the downward movement of the anchor rods 11 in ithe guides 15 and 16. On the outer :tace of each cross-head 17, at the intermediate portion thereof, is a knob orhandle 22, by which the anchor rods 11 may be pressed into the ground against the tension ofthe springs 19 or lifted from the ground in case said springs are not strong enough to do so.

To hold the anchor rods 11 in the ground, against the action of the springs 19, there is secured to each cross-head 17, at its intervio mediate portion,a depending spring latch bar 23 having, in its lower end, an aperture 24 adapted to be interlocked with a lug 25 when the anchor rods 11 are projected far enough to bring said aperture into alinement with its anchor lug 25. The lugs 25 are formed on plates 26 screwed to the inner faces of the end tie-bars 7. The lower ends of the latch bars 23 are curved inward, so as to engage 4the curved upper faces of the lugs 25and thereby cam said latch bars past the anchor lugs 25 to bring the aperture 24 into alinement with said anchor lugs and thereby cause said latch bars to spring into interlocking engagement with said anchor lugs and hold the anchor rods 1l projected or depressed against the action of the springs 19. Itis important to note that the lower ends of the latch bars 23 extend below the tie-bars 7, when interlocked with the anchor lugs 25, and by pressing these ends of the latch bars 23 inward by the toe ofv a shoe, said latch bars may be sprung out of -engagement with the anchor lugs 25 and thereby permit the springs 19 to retract or lift the anchor rods 11 out of the ground. 1 To securely anchor the latch bars 23 to the cross-heads 17, blocks 27 are secured to the lower, faces of the cross-heads 17 by nut-equipped bolts 28, and to the outer faces ofwhich blocks said latch bars are secured by screws. Saidv latch bars 23 are also eX- tended laterally inward between the crossheads 17 and blocks 27 and laterally upward on the inner faces of said cross-heads and secured thereto by screws, as best shown in Fig.I 2. The caps 21, on the upper ends of the anchor rod sections 14, are arranged to engage the guides 15 to limit the downward or projecting movement of the anchor rods 11 and thereby prevent the same from being withdrawn from said guides. Normally, thesprings 19 hold the anchor rods 11 lifted 'or retracted with their lower ends above the floor or ground line. Preferably, as shown, the transverse width of the lower ends of the legs 5 is increased by placing thereon shoes 29 of rubber or other suitable material,to prevent said legs into the ground. Y 'f From the above description, it is evident `thatthe anchor rods at each end of the table are independently movable, and by pressing downward on the knobs 22, the sharp lower ends ofthe anchor rods 11 may be pressed into the ground against the tension of the springs 19 and held in this position by the latch bars 23. To move the table, it is only necessary topress the lower free ends of the latch bars 23 inward, by engaging the same with the toe of the shoe without 'having to stoop over, to spring said latch bars out of interlocking engagement with their lock lugs 25 to thereby release said latch bars `and allow the compressed springs 19 from sinking to lift the anchor rods out of the ground. In case the anchor rods should stick in the ground so that the springs 19 cannot lift the same, said anchor rods may be withdrawn from the ground manually, either by lifting on the knobs 22 or on the table itself.

lllhat I claim is:

1. The combination with a table, of a pair of anchor rods, guides on the table for the anchor rods, a cross-head connecting the anchor rods, springs under strain to lift the anchor rods, and a latch for holding the anchor rods depressed against the tension of the springs.

2. The combination with a table, of a pair of anchor rods, guides on the table for the anchor rods, a cross-head connecting the anchor rods, springs under strain to lift the anchor rods, a spring latch bar on the crosshead, and a lock element on the table arranged to interlock with the latch bar and hold the anchor rods depressed.

3. T he combination with a table, of a pair of anchor rods, guides on the table for the anchor rods, a cross-head connecting the anchor rods, springs under strain to lift the anchor rods, a depending spring latch bar on the cross-head, and a lock element on the table with which the latch bar is adapted to automatically interlock when the anchor rods are depressed.

4. The combination with a table, of a pair of anchor rods, guides on the table for the anchor rods, a cross-head connecting the anchor rods, springs under strain to lift the anchor rods, a spring latch bar on the crosshead, and a lock element on the table arranged to interlock with the latch bar and hold the anchor rods depressed, said latch bar having a free end extending below the part of the table to which said lock element is .secured and which free end may be engaged by the foot to release the latch bar from the lock element.

5. The combination with a table, of a pair of anchor rods at each end of the table, guides on the table for the anchor rods, a cross-head connecting each pair of anchor rods, coiled springs encircling the anchor rods and compressed between certain of the guides and the cross-heads and under strain to lift the anchor rods, and spring latches for holding the anchor rods depressed.

6. The combination with a table, of anchor rods at each end of the table, upper and lower pairs of screw eyes secured to the table and in which the anchor rods are mounted for endwise movement, a crosshead connecting each pair of anchor rods, said cross-heads being held by shoulders on the anchor rods and nuts having screwthreaded engagement therewith, coiled springs encircling the anchor rods and compressed between the lower screw eyes and of a pair the cross-heads and under strain to lift the anchor rods, and spring latches for holding the anchor rods depressed.

7. The combination with a table, of a pair of anchor rods at each end of the table, upper and lower pairs of screw eyes secured to the table and in which the anchor rods are mounted for endwise movement, a crosshead connecting each pair of anchor rods,

said cross-heads bein held b shoulders on the anchor rods antd nuts aving screwthreaded en agement therewith, coiled springs encirc ing the anchor rods and compressed between the lower screw eyes and the cross-heads and under strain to lift the anchor rods, spring latches for holding the anchor rods depressed, and caps on the anchor rods arranged to engage the upper screw eyes to limit the depressing movement of the anchor rods.

8. The combination with a table, of a pair of anchor rods at each end of the table, said anchor rods having tubular intermediate sections, guides on the table for the anchor rods, a cross-head connecting each pair of anchor rods, coiled springs encircling the anchor rods and compressed between certain of the guides and the cross-heads and under strain to litt the anchor rods, and spring latches for holding the anchor rods depressed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHRISTOPHER L. SOLBERG. 

